OCTOBER, 1999

SUNNYDALE NEW HIGH SCHOOL

Buffy and her two closest friends sat near the outside entrance to the cafeteria, chatting. They had only to wait. For the enemy would surely come, as it had in two previous incarnations.
 
An officious, stern-looking woman who looked a lot like all the family-ripping social workers on 'Unsolved Mysteries' came along, almost on cue. She glared at Buffy.

"Don't you three have something you can be doing?"

*Oh, Please, thought the Slayer. Let this be the new Principal.*

"No, Ma'am. Just standing here, chatting away, like teenagers."

Xander saw the face muscles forming. It was going to happen. It was going to happen. An act possibly better than all his dreams of sex.

"Well, I'm Principal Chalmers. And I just may have something for you to do."

"But its like she said. We were just engaging in idle chit-chat about nothing."

Willow held back the urge to magick this thing to a conclusion. It had to be pure, and it would be, as Chalmers responded to Xander's words.

"Well, in my book, idle chit-chat about nothing leads to trouble. Then again, almost everything involving teenagers does. So you three just volunteered for duty on the committee for the Halloween Parade."

Ecstasy flowed freely among the three dear friends. Payback was to be in the here and now. Buffy started, as always.

"Nope. Don't have time. Won't do it."

The Principal huffed.

"I could call your parents."

Xander built up the charge.

"You mean someone like you has mastered the art of dialing and speaking? Wow!"

She now puffed.

"Consider all three of you, and anyone stupid enough to hang around with you, on detention for the next month! Go to my office!"

Willow smiled, and delivered the coup de grace.

"Go to my Hell."

Buffy informed the raging baloney what she was up against.

"See, we only came here to see the reconstructed school."

Xander shrugged.

"Which---we kinda graduated from, four months back."

Willow held up an opened palm.

"But see--we knew that you might be just like our previous principals. So we waited a little."

Xander shook his head.

"Being a VSIP--Very Self-Important Person, you didn't disappoint. You mandatorily volunteered us, like a good little fascist."

Buffy patted her on the back.

"In the name of the entire surviving graduating class of 1999---I proclaim your power over us is nil. Remember always that at least three young people walked away from one of your barked orders, laughing as they did. And there was nothing you could do about it."

When they had left, Principal Chalmers immediately wanted to take her revenge on whatever student presented themselves, past or present. In the shadows of the main school entrance, she saw someone. Her prey was sighted.

"You! Past or present student?"

"Errr---past?"

"Perfect. I am going to keep you in my office until nightfall, then have you arrested  for loitering and trespassing, Miss----"

The blonde smiled, confusing Chalmers.

"Harmony Kendall, Miss Principal."

For the record, Mister Woodman from 'Welcome Back Kotter' became Principal early the next week.